I wanted to share just a few of the products I'm loving this spring with each and every one of you! I've linked everything in the text, but also have a section at the bottom dedicated to all the clothes I'm currently drooling over. If you want to hear what I'm listening to this spring, be sure to check out my SPRING | 18 playlist on Spotify!

Facial Steamer— My dear sweet baby gal beauty guru Hunter Wuensce of Vital Blonde turned me on to the idea of facial steaming, and I've found that it's really helped with the effectiveness of my activated enzyme weekly face masks as well as evening the overall tone of my skin.

Jade Roller—Does this thing work? Who knows. Does it feel amazing? Definitely.

Cold Compress Eye Mask— I didn't know heaven on earth could exist until I woke up after a sleepless night, put this eye mask on, and fell back asleep for 10 more minutes.

Gadgets

Everyday Photo Backpack— If you're a photographer looking for a small lightweight backpack for everyday shooting, you need to check this out. The camera bag fits in the bottom half of the backpack while the top has room for your wallet, phone, keys, chargers, laptop, and more.

Laptop Sleeve with Mousepad—The IT guys at my office were less than thrilled when I spilled water on my laptop and had to get it repaired, so I finally invested in a sleeve for my MacBook Pro. I love that it's lightweight and the opening flap doubles as a mousepad.

Will Leather Goods Oaxacan Duffle— I've been carrying the same duffle for nine years so asked for this gorgeous, one-of-a-kind duffle for my birthday. Each has a different print, and comes with a lifetime warranty and custom monogramming.

Books

The Lover's Dictionary— This book is creative, raw, and beautifully written. Set up like a dictionary, each word harkening a different memory in the story of one flawed relationship.

I'm Judging You— So dramatic that it literally makes me cry laughing. Basically one large diatribe about why people are the worst sometimes.

When you’re on day three of not washing your hair and waking up tired after hitting snooze a few too many times, this seven minute peppy ponytail is the perfect way to look polished and presentable while rushing to get ready for work.

Step 1: Tease

Blame it on my Texas upbringing that I love to tease my hair. My naturally flat hair and big forehead have always frustrated me, so I mastered the art of subtly teasing my hair when I was a freshman in college. I rarely leave my apartment without a little teased hair and a few coats of mascara (or some falsies, which I talk about more here.) I like to tease the top layer of the crown of my head, as well as either side of my part ever so slightly for extra lift. My favorite teasing comb? A flat, plastic rat-tail comb like the Mason Pearson Tail Comb.

Step 2: Pony Up

Next, I pull my hair back into a pony and use my rat-tail comb to brush any odd-shaped, teasing-induced bumps out of my hair and make it look a little smoother. I like it when ponies look a little messy, but not too messy for work! My new favorite hair ties are telephone cord hair ties, but I prefer to use them for half-up half-down styles. I like using a traditional pony (since my hair is fine, I use thin goodie ponytail holders).

Step 3: Bobby-Pin

This is my number one trick to getting a peppy ponytail! I take one bobby pin, flip my ponytail up on top of my head, and stick it straight down into the ponytail holder with the opening of the pin facing into the ponytail. Just keep it angered down toward the nape of your neck!If you have thicker hair, two bobby-pins might be necessary — Just cross them in an “X” position when sticking them through. After I stick the bobby-pin in, I flip my hair back over, tighten it a little by pulling on the sides, and tug a little on my original tease with a rat tail comb so my volume is even bigger.

STEP 4: Texturizer + Setting Spray

After inserting the bobby-pin and getting my ponytail situated, I pinch the top later of my ponytail, lift it up a little, and spray texturizing spray (I preferUmberto Dry Texture Spray from drugstores) on my pony. I tousle it a bit, then finish off the look with some hairspray. My current favorite is Big Sexy Hair Spray and Play.

Voila! A peppy pony that will make you look (and feel) more polished and awake at work. I love pairing a ponytail with bold eye makeup and extra highlighter on my cheekbones. It makes the lazy-chic style feel much more put together.

I'm not sure if it was the recent discovery of my presumably long lost Free People bell bottoms, my Huji and Camon-Classic app downloads, or the sun finally bringing some warmth to Austin, but I am FEELIN' the 70's lately. Social media? Who needs it! DSLR? Give me an instant camera! Responsibilities? No thank you! Enter my spring 2018, 70's inspired mood board.

I may not be at Woodstock, but I can still appreciate some vintage looks and pieces. Below are a few of my favorite images from my 70's Mood board on Pinterest.

These images will definitely be the inspiration for my next shoot, and will influence the items I get while doing spring shopping. I've been so tired of clothing lately (I feel like it all looks the same and lacks variance) so I'm planning on doing some thrift and vintage shopping soon. I can't wait to show you my 70's inspired looks!

It's been a minute since I've done a photo shoot for fun, so I was thrilled when I got the chance to shoot with Contista Productions again! These are a few early spring 2018 looks I'm loving right now with a little Austin flare just in time for South by Southwest.

The best shoots are spontaneous shoots you don't see coming. I met up with Josh and Parisa for dinner one Friday night, and the next thing you know we are talking about a shoot come Sunday morning! Next thing I know, they're over listening to the same song on repeat as i toss all of my clothes out of my closet in search of the perfect outfits for the shoot. After a quick trip to Starbucks Sunday morning, we were on our way to McKinney Falls.

Shooting is always a blast with them. They know the best angles, how to make me feel comfortable in front of the camera, and never make me feel silly for suggesting ideas for poses and locations when we're out there. My favorite part of the entire shoot: There was a little girl watching us with a derpy smile on her face for the entirety of the second outfit. Kind of creepy, but kind of cute.

Be sure to check out the Contista Productions website for more of their work. SO much raw emotion and unedited beauty is captured in their videos! If you want to see a teaser from the shoot, you can find that below.